en آموزش بهداشت Health Education پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span style="line-height:2;"><strong>Background and Purpose</strong>: Meal frequency is influenced by multiple individual and environmental factors, yet little is known about whether living arrangements contribute to differences in eating patterns among nursing students. This study examined whether meal frequency among third-year nursing students differed between independent and dependent living arrangements.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>: A descriptive cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 149 third-year nursing students from a private university in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Using a stratified-purposive sampling approach, students were categorized as living independently or dependently. Meal frequency was measured using an online food timing screening (FTS) tool. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and mean meal frequencies, while independent-samples t-tests compared 6 meal times (breakfast, lunch, dinner, AM snack, PM snack, and midnight snack) across living arrangements.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: Of 149 students, 34 lived independently, and 115 lived dependently. Mean meal frequency was comparable between groups at all meal times. No statistically significant differences were found for breakfast (P=0.056), lunch (P=0.218), dinner (P=0.078), AM snack (P=0.467), PM snack (P=0.339), or midnight snack (P=0.183). Overall, students displayed similar meal and snack patterns regardless of living arrangement.<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Living arrangement was not associated with differences in meal frequency among third-year nursing students. These findings suggest that other factors, such as individual preferences, access to food, schedule demands, and academic pressures, may play a stronger role. Future studies should incorporate additional variables and consider multivariate analyses to adjust for potential confounders. Interventions promoting regular eating patterns should extend beyond housing-related factors to more holistically support student nutrition and well-being.</span></span></span></div> Feeding behavior, Students, Nursing, Diet, Health behavior 17 24 http://jhs.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1111-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Amara Jaina O. Pacuribot 20190018152@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014539 100319475328460014539 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Justin Angelo B. Perreras 200930060@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014540 100319475328460014540 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Noireich Benjamin Rogue P. Reduca 20210023719@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014541 100319475328460014541 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Paul Mari Mathew E. Reyes 20210023256@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014542 100319475328460014542 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Mikee Ely M. Roa 20210023092@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014543 100319475328460014543 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Graciela G. Rodriguez 20190016419@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014544 100319475328460014544 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Maria Alexa T. Tiñoña 200810564@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014545 100319475328460014545 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Lance Patrick B. Toribio 20190016364@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014546 100319475328460014546 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Sofia Cris T. Vitor sof14vitor@gmail.com 100319475328460014547 100319475328460014547 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Maria Lea Anthoinette Q. Yema leayema02@gmail.com 100319475328460014548 100319475328460014548 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Shelwyn C. Zaluaga 20190017985@my.xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014549 100319475328460014549 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Paolo B. Araune paraune@xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014550 100319475328460014550 Yes Department of Mathematics, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Yvette M. Batar ybatar@xu.edu.ph 100319475328460014551 100319475328460014551 No College of Nursing, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.